Saturday, March 23, 2013

Thought Of The Day

Back in December after the Sandy Hook Massacre I was involved in a discussion on firearms ownership on an Objectivist Mailing list.

One list member, who I will not identify to save him from further embarrassment, wrote:

Again drawing from fiction, in The Weapon Shops of Isher and its sequel The Weapon Makers the author A.E. Van Vogt uses the phrase: “The right to buy weapons is the right to be free,” which I think most astute. In this classic science fiction story the Weapon Shop weapons are only capable of being used in self defense.

The list owner correctly declared that this was metaphysically impossible.

Let’s examine the premise.

Consciousness Is Identification.

Consciousness is the process of seeing things as they actually are.

In order for an artifact, such as a firearm, to be able to identify the difference between a valid target it must be a conscious being. In practical effect the weapon is a person. As a piece of property this person is a slave.

Furthermore, if the weapon owner, or the operator it is issued to, cannot identify the difference between a valid target –- statists and criminals -- and innocent persons, then the owner or operator in this respect is unconscious. To require that the attribute of consciousness be constructed into a weapon demonstrates that the potential owner or operator is not fit to hold it.

As Consciousness Is Identification, what can we say about those in government who cannot or willfully refuse to identify the difference between citizens and criminals? Or unable to simply identify any fact of reality at all?